23/7/1916
Dear Ladies & Gents
Another Sunday finds me in the same place & going on in the same old way. A miserable day it is here one of those close misty rainy days that makes you shiver when looking out into space. The later end of this week has been very light hardly anything doing since last Wednesday except exercising the horses. On Wednesday we had a very big day leaving camp at nine we proceeded out towards Martinborough, that is in an easterly direction with the object of giving battle to the O. & N.C.O, class that had gone out an hour earlier & to stop them from coming in towards Featherston. As they were the enemy we had to take up a position in front of a bridge across a river and hold it at all costs. It took us till nearly dinner time to get there & get into position the enemy attack beginning almost immediately and continuing all the time until about two o’clock. As we were on the real thing there was no set dinner hour so that at the usual time all horse should have been fed but that part was sadly neglected everyone having their own dinner as best they could and forgetting all about the horses.
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Some of us scored very well during the day especially those anywhere near a farm house. Some even got a hot dinner while others again had tea supplied myself and six others being amongst the latter we got nearly a bucket of tea and had that with our lunch the five of them had to get – for scalter & left two of us to lookout & report should anything happen. After we had been there about an hour, the owner of the farm house along side found time to come along with a jug of tea and some mince pie for us & I can tell you it was alright & just before the main attack on us began & who should hop up but Captain & four men but by that time the pie was gone & all that was left for them was the tea and it went round everyone. Altogether we had quite the best day we have yet and in all must have done over thirty miles. This is why the rest of the week has been light the other days of the week were also very hard on the horses & they (as well as we) required a little spell. There is not so many of our troop away on leave this week as there usually is only three being out Sunday usually sees about six men to twenty horse’s.
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Before I forget to mention, as I did when I wrote the other day, someone had evidentally told Nellie that George & I had taken possession of a camera for a short space of time and she requested that one of the results be handed on to her & I said I would mention it & if there was one available she could have it. What her address is now I do not know but she is somewhere in Palmerston N. at present & I believe will be down this way again sometime about October. Last Tuesday all the seventeenth reinf. was inoculated a very simple performance but the after effects are not so simple in all cases. Our Squadron was all done in about twenty minutes. Some men were quite stiff after it but the only effect it had on me was a soreness round the spot on my left breast where the operation was performed. The worst part of the whole business was having to go out on this big engagement next day the rifles and bandoliers lay right across the sore spot. It was very funny the way some of the men took it some of them even went so far as to faint but those were confined to the Artillery.
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Since finishing the last page I have been to stables and had tea so I am feeling in better form the only thing that is wrong now is that it is raining like furry it is a real heart breaker after the way the place had dried up during the latter end of the week. The young fellow Kirkpatric & I are both writing here today this is only the second time I have been in one of these places to write since we got our gee gee’s. Kirk on the other hand has spent all his spare time since he came up here in one or other of these & we all wondered what he could be doing but what it was he showed me today but I will tell you about it when I come home if you remind me as it was given to me in strict confidence. He is a fine fellow indeed and a companion worth having. About this commission business I must say there is no doubt it is a great advantage but do you know it take me the next twelve months to get out of this place if I waited for a commission. You have no idea of the number of fellows that are hanging around here waiting, & the things that are said, the place is absolutely alive with men in Officer & N.C.O classes. The required number as far ahead as the twenty first reinforcement are now in training for commissions & N.C.O positions. That is not so bad but
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They might not be posted to that body and if not there is no knowing when they will get away. There is one fellow here who came up last October but whether he is posted or not I cannot say. Now I believe it is pretty well certain that we finish up with the horses a fortnight from the last Friday & then go to Papawai for the remainder of our shooting. That means that three weeks today should see me at home but exactly what date we leave is not certain although it is up that the seventeenth infantry go on leave on the tenth Aug, and that strikes about the same day as us. What length of time we are to have is not yet out but the Commodant told us just after we arrive that every man is allowed four clear days at home or ten days in all. How the people are going off down there this past few months what with our relations and others there will soon be no people left. I have not received any of the last budget yet but it will arrive in due course. My word Lottie has been lucky in getting into Timaru has she not I have not had a letter from her since her appointment but she said some time ago that she had applied. There
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is one thing she will always know where she is now instead of being here today and somewhere else tomorrow. The neighbours are evidentally taking a new lease of life what with giving entertainments etc. thing must be booming, I really believe you should go and call at Calvi seeing there may be a show of something doing in the future. You are saying that I am reported in good condition well the truth of the matter is I tried on that vest that I brought up with me the other day and it would not come within three inches of meeting so that if I put it on it would run a big risk of giving way. When in Wellington last week I stepped on the scales and I brought up thirteen and a half so that you see stew is not bad stuff for making up weight. I am going to enclose a P.C. taken of us the other day while out on advance work it contains the Officers and is the only one we have all had taken together so far. One also of the squadron ready to move off for the afternoons work. I am going to send another to the Coronation folk as well. There is not more to write about just now so will bring this to a close. Give my best spec’s to all those who were enquiring & say I will meet them shortly. Hoping all are as well as I.
Your Brother
Charlie.
